Flexible or rigid hand-bag.



E. KOSTA. FLEXlBLE OR RIGID HAND BAG. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. ms.

1 ,273,875. Patented July 30, 1918.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 6mm 572m ueZ X65221 A TTOR/VEY g EMAN.uELLxosrA,;or MoNrrcELm, i'WISGONSI-N.

. 7 rmxlsnn on RIGID-HANDBAG.

ToaZl whom :z't may concern:

(Be it :known that I, EMAN UE .Kos'rA,; acitizcn l of the "United *States, iresidnrg at Monticello, iin I the county of Green and Statewof Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible or R-i'gid IIan'd-Ba-gs, of which "the following i is E a specification.

This invention has for its Ob]8Ct to-proe "wide :0 hand bag or i'lnggage carrier which titre of" the bag.

tening members 88 secured can readily be changed from structure to 'a flexible one. Another ob ect*1s to provide a -bagg *which can' readily be interchangeable so as-to vary the carrying capacity-of the same. r

7 Another obj ect of the invention is to pr o vide a'bag in which the frame members are collapsible or 'foldablesoas -toivary the na- These and other objectSwvill-cleafly present themselves after' reading the following specification in connection with I the accompanying drawings. 7 F'gnre 1 aiperspective View "of the" bag in the so called rigid condition, Figs-2 is a similar-view of"the1 hag showing the same changed into a so called flexible bag, Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view --on'li-nemw Fig. 1, Fig. Lie-a-sectional view on line z y Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a front 'elevation of one of the hinged side frame members, Fig

of said frame member.

In the drawings numeral 1 designates a rigid back to which is attached either a rigid or flexible handlej2, a flexible one being illustrated in the drawing. 'To this rigidback, at its two sides and bottom, is securedv a flexible leather or cloth structure which constitutes the two side walls 3-3 the-front wall and the bottom 5 of thebag. To the top of the rigid back 1 is secured-a: flap member 6 which constitutes the. top or cover for thebag. To the free edge of'this flap 6 is secured straps 7 7v which engage fasbottom of the bag.

The structure so far described constitutes a so called flexible bag or in other words one in which the sidewalls are yieldable and the fastening straps may be drawn in more to cause a binding action between the articles carried and the front, bottom and corner of said bag. In this formof bag the goods contained therein are positively rev adjacent the 22,1916. SeriaDNo. 12$,606J

v Specification of Letters Patent. P tent d1Ju1 30, .1918;

' Amineabionifiledfieptember A i V I the ba either in its "fastened or unfastened condition. Bags of=t-his general rigidtype are commonly =old but it 1s -the -pr11 p0Se of my invention to provide ;a bagwhich m y he readily in'terohanged from t-he 'rigid to the flexible type yet retain all of the- 'char- -acteristics '(f)f=t.bothtypes. I

NVithin' the flexible bag structure and lni ngedly s'ecured to the bottom "of: the rigid,

1 back 1 is a rigidbottom; 9, "and to eitherside of the-back-I=is-similarly secured rigideside 7 members *101'O.' The dimensions of t-he ri-gi d bottom and side members are such "that when 1 they are extended within the flexible-"bag all of t-he walls ofthedatterare u-nder-a' slight tension; This positively-re- -'-movesa-ll'wrinkles and thereby greatly i-mproves the outside appearance'of 'the b a-g. I

I: n orderthat thetension that: is a placed on I the outside flexible-structurewillnot force 7 1 the rigid bottom side -members to collapse 'lugs-11--l1 -are provided onrthe bot- 1 tom member and behind" these the side memmember is folded rthe folded side mem s bers. Any suitable material may be used for the back, bottom and side members such as sheet metal, heavy leather, leather covered cardboard or other material that will not bend under ordinary conditions butwill yield when undue pressure is the exterior of thebag.

exerted upon Pocket members12. are provided on any one rigid members for the 'Pl 'PQ Q I of carrying articles.

1(aver the locking lugs on the bottom mem er.

. Tochange from the flexible type of bag {7100' described in the first part of this specifica- Whenthe bag is to be changed back to r the flexible type the bottom is slightly depressed till the legs are clear of theside' members, then these-latter are-folded inward against the back 1, then th bott m member is folded upwardly overlapping the already folded side members.

IVhile I have described the preferred form of my structure I wish it understood that ertain deviations therefrom may be resorted to without sacrificing any of the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an interchangeable bag of the class described having a rigid back member, a flexible structure secured to the rigid back constituting the front, sides and bottom of the bag, in combination with side and bottom members hingedly secured to the rigid back and arranged to be extended within the flexible structure to sustain the same when in one position thereby forming 'a rigid structure, said hinged members adapted to be folded over each other ,to form a flexible structure when in another position. 7

2. In an interchangeable bag of the class described havin one rigid wall, a flexible structure securec to the said rigid wall constituting the front, sides and bottom of the bag, in combination with collapsible side and bottom members removably associated with certain walls of the flexible structure to sustain the same in a rigid state, said side and bottom members when collapsed providing a flexible structure, and means for locking the collapsible members in their extended position.

3. In an interchangeable bag of the class described having one rigid wall, a flexible structure secured to the said rigid wall constituting the front, sides and bottom of the bag, in combination with side and bottom members hingedly secured to the rigid wall and arranged to be extended within the fiex- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ible structure to rigidly sustain the same when in one position, said side and bottom members adapted to be folded over each other to form a flexible structure, and lugs on the bottom member behind which the side members lock when all of the said members are in extended position.

4. In an interchangeable bag of the class described having a rigid back member, a flexible structure secured to the rigid back constituting the front, sides and bottom of the bag, in combination with side and bottom members hingedly secured to the rigid back and arranged to be extended within the flexible structure to sustain the same and thereby form a rigid structure, said side and bottom members arranged to be folded over each other and thereby form a flexible structure.

, '5. In an interchangeable bag of the class described having a rigid back member, a

flexible structure secured to the rigid back constituting the front,sides and bottom of the bag, in combination with side and bottom members hingedly secured to said backmember and adapted to be folded over each other to provide space for articles to be placed therein, and means secured to the free ends of the flexible structure for drawing said ends together whereby the size of the bag may bediminished and articles placed therein may be prevented from relative movement. j

This specification signed and witnessed this 2nd day of Septbr., 1916.

EMANUEL KOSTA.-

Witnesses:

FANNIE G. BENKERT, :D. KLING.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent; Washington, D. G. 

